Werin Deg
The Werin Deg (Draddwyr: "Fair Folk") is a right-wing populist party in Dranland. The party was was founded in August 3477 and is widely regarded as the latest incarnation of the former Werin Da ("Good Folk"), after the legacy of that brand had been to tarnished after the assassination of Martin Kresteva at the hands of former party Tanist Yasmine Ewen. Structure The party is not an unitary organisation but is made up of three Hirds (factions), each representing slightly different attitudes and policies. These are the following: 'Hosian Democratic Right' The Hosian Democratic Right (Kazulian: Hosiansk-demokratisk Høyre) is the Kazulian-dominated faction of the party, led by Ragnar Solfjord . Once a part of the Werin Da, and then in electoral coalition with it, the HDR represents the less radical and more stable part of the party. Not being a religious party per see, it is noatby oriented towards libertarian conservatism and more sceptical towards the welfare state than rest of the party. 'Draddwyr People's Action' The DPA (Draddwyr: Gweithredu Pobl Draddeg), led by Heiro Fahramar presents the more nationalist-oriented Draddwyrs, and is largely made up by blue-collar workers, small businessmen and people dependant on welfare. Less right-wing on fiscally matters than the rest of the party, it is nonetheless strongly social conservative, and many radical proposals such as banning of sodomy or minority religions comes from this direction. 'Progressive Humanists' The Progressive Humanists (Draddwyr: Dyneiddwyr Flaengar), led by Thamidea Aegwyn is a faction formed around Thamidea Aegwyn, the former foreign minister of Dranland. Representing the centre of the party, it ventures into the traditions of Statism and Populism, but has shifted more to the fiscal right along with the rest of the party in the last decades. Political positions Through the decades, the political stances of the movement that became the Werin Deg has shifted from syncretic religious nationalism to a less staunchly nationalist and more more neoliberal profile. The movement has always been supportive of increased privatization of he military (and the police) and publicly funded welfare corporations running on a for-profit basis, but has only recently began to criticize the size of the welfare state. The Werin Deg movement is deeply rooted in the Hosian faith and most of it's members are either Hosians (mostly Selucianist) or pagans, though a minority belong to other religions. The Werin Deg has always been staunchly socially conservative on issues like abortion, contraception, homosexuality and euthanasia, but liberal on the issues of alcohol, tobacco, violent video games, illegal file sharing and gun control. This is though to appease the WD's large voter base of young working class men. The party has a long tradition of environmentalism and pro-animal welfare thought. It is also a staunch supporter of Dranish entry into the Alliance of Terran Republics, and is opposed to the reintroduction of the Draniano monarchy, holding the Draniano establishment guilty for the Welsh Genocide. Prominent Figures 'Azula Iceling' Azula Iceling is the current Party Tanist of the Werin Deg. The daughter of a renowned nano-technologist and a doctor of religious arts, she grew up in an estate outside Y Cymoedd in the liberal stronghold of Magadonia. She studied at the University of Iglesia Mayor and graduated from a masters course in Social Science. Her grandfather on her mothers side was Selucian and served as a mercenary in the Ponesian Civil War fighting for the Selucian Crusaders against the nationalist uprising. As a political refugee, he was given asylum despite demands of extradition from Pontesian authorities. 'Thamidea Aegwyn' Thamidea Aegwyn became famous for her work for human rights as foreign minister of Dranland, especially for her engagement against the ethnic cleansing commited by the fascist regime in Pontesi. Like her party, Aegwyn hold social conservative positions but is less to the right on fiscal issues while also criticizing theocratic nationalist factions inside the party, resulting in her being labeled as a "politically correct social liberal" by various extremist supporters of the WD. She lives in Porthladd Rhewi, Magadonia, a region with few supporters of the party. 'Heiro Fahramar' A son of a working class parents and a seemingly devout Hosian, Heiro Fahramar is seen as the top leader of the fiscal left of the party. Fahramar is considered a homophobe and a extremist by groups and individuals of both the left and the right for past remarks about homosexual sex involving excrement, as well as his involvement in the downfall of the former Werin Da and omission during the assassination of Martin Kresteva, having well known that some of his "homies" were well capable to commit such attacks. He however ensures that he has moved past all those matters and is now "focusing on the future". 'Tyr Argus-Helm' Tyr Argus-Helm (née Solvik) is the current Hird Lord of the Hosian Democratic Right. Previous Prominent Figures 'Ciele Irvine' Ciele Irvine was the first Party Tanist (leader) of the Werin Deg. A former blue collar worker from a small town in Elbian, Ciele become one of the founding members of the Werin Deg thanks to her engagement in various non-socialist labour unions. Critics believe that she was mostly put in charge to be controlled by the Hird leaders who could not agree on who to lead the party among themselves and that few really considers Mrs. Irvine fit to rule. Being a long-term friend of Heiro Fahramar, she is believed to be closest to him of her subordinates. As a result of investigations pending against Irvine about abuse of teenage boys, Irvine was removed from office in August 3478 and cast out from the party. She was replaced by Ragnar Solfjord. 'Ragnar Solfjord' Ragnar Solfjord is the current Tanist of he Werin Deg. Previously, he served as the long term leader of the Hosian Democratic Right. A son of a family of Kazulian social workers, he studied economy at the University of Iglesia Mayor. He is devoted to spending reduction and the abolishment of the income tax, but rarely comments n social issues, leading to some believing him to be less conservative than the majority of his party. In 3485, Solfjord decided to quit and leave for a life with famous DCP-politican Francesca dos Santos, who had "cured" him from his secret homosexuality, which caused a major outrage in the party.